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Retired? I Wish......[:(!] What does a signalman do.?Well apart from Signalling the trains safely through his or her section of line (think Towers in US/ Canadian parlance), I also spend most of the time on the phone dealing with Farm and Accomodation crossing users (there are direct links to the signalbox), issuing possessions to the S&T/PWAY gangs so they can have access to the line, keeping the TRUST system accurate by filling in the arrival and departure points. The system of Signalling trains in Cogload Country is Absoloute Block (Mostly). As a result to operate the timetable and to create the conditions for the smooth running of service i.e. one train on one line in one section at any one time there are signalboxes still in existance at Penzance, St Erth, Roskear Junction, Truro, Par, Lostwithiel and Liskeard. The next box which is Track Circuit Block is Plymouth. Because it is TCB and lights it controls a lot larger area than the Absolute Block/ Semaphore system which is used West of that. To resignal Cornwall and use lights/ cabling required to cerate the amount of block sections to run the timetable would cost so much that it is cheaper to basically keep the existing system of signalling trains in place. Plus if it goes wrong all it needs is a bit of wire to replace. So lets say, the box next to me offers me a train. If it is a Class1(passenger), this would be four bells. So, initially, there would be one bell (call attention), which I would then acknowledge, then there would be 4 bells. If the line is clear up to and including my clearing point (i.e. either 200yards/400 yards beyond the first STOP signal in my area of control) then I will acknoweldge the 4 Bells and then the block indicator to "Line Clear." As the signalbox next door section's (i.e. the last signal under his/her control) signal is know nas "locked by the block", the act of me turning the block indicator to Line Clear means that he/she can clear his/her section signal to a proceed aspect. When the train passes him/her and is COMPLETE WITH TAIL LAMP then he/she will send 2 Bells (Train entering Section), I will acknowledge this and then turn my Block Indicator to "Train On Line". I will then offer the train on (i.e. ask "is line clear") to the next box in turn. There are three positions on a block indicator, Normal, Line Clear and Train on Line. This means that the rear boxes signal is now locked and when that train passes cannot give a proceed aspect until I give a "Line Clear" (2-1 train leaving section) and he or her offers me a train again. In my case I will pull my first home and distant signal, wait 12 mins, lower a set of barriers and then pull the signals which control the line through the station in sequence. There is a track diagram above the frame. In the UK now, the station limits (roughly the area between a box's first home and section signal) is track circuited so you know where the train is. However the sections of track between the signalboxes can be "dark territory" - i.e. you have absolutely nno idea where the train is. Only experience and knowledge will give you an idea of when to pull the other signals off in your area, especially if there are crossings to contend with. In a lot of cases when the 2 bells are recieved all the signals in a signallers area of control are pulled, however it depends on what the train is timetabled to do. I will send that bell code(2-1 and turning the blcok instrument back to line clear) to the box in rear when the train passes me complete with tail lamp and this action is repeated ad nauseum until Liskeard when the line becomes TCB and there are berths on a panel which have the trains headcode enetered. As the train passes each signal and the track circuits operate to protect that train buy turning the siggies to red (we hope), this will light up on the panel and the headcode will step up to the next berth so the signaller knows where the train is. So that is it in a very very simple nutshell This a very handy website I have just discovered..... [/url] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_signalling#Timetable_operation
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